Danica Patrick is off to a slow start in her first full NASCAR season. Can she turn it around?

Meanwhile, Hendrick Motorsports also is struggling. Should it be concerned?

And the NASCAR Hall of Fame is beginning to consider nominees for the 2013 class. Who should get in next year?

The staffs of the Sporting News and NASCAR Illustrated weigh in on these questions in our weekly roundtable:

Hendrick Motorsports hasn't won a race since Jimmie Johnson's victory last October at Kansas, and Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne are off to terrible starts this season. Has the organization lost some of its luster, and should Hendrick officials be concerned?

Bob Pockrass: Yes it has lost some of its luster and yes it should be concerned. When Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman win races in your equipment, you have to wonder why your teams haven't performed at that level.

Jon Gunn: Hendrick should not be concerned, but the other teams should take note and make hay while the sun shines.

Jeff Owens: Much of its problems this year have been due to bad luck. It will bounce back, but it should be concerned about getting outrun by its own satellite team.

Kenny Bruce: Once upon a time there was Hendrick Motorsports, and then there was everyone else. That fairy tale no longer exists. To have that much talent and not be winning is definitely a cause for concern.

Danica Patrick has gotten off to a slow start this year. Is that surprising, or a sign of how she will perform all season?

Jon Gunn: Not at all surprised by her lack of performance. While she’s a decent driver, she has never won a championship in any series and certainly won’t in Nationwide or Cup.

Kenny Bruce: If she were starting her second full season, it would be surprising. But with only 25 career starts prior to 2012, Patrick is still learning. She’ll get better, but not overnight.

Jeff Owens: Yes, based on the way she ran last season, I’m surprised she hasn’t done better. I expect her to show significant improvement as the season goes on.

Kris Johnson: Slight surprise but then again Danica remains a work in progress in NASCAR. The real surprise will be if she struggles throughout all of 2012.

Jay Pfeifer: Her slow start isn't surprising at all. NASCAR is insanely difficult, no matter how talented you may be. And she's never put together more than six consecutive starts. This whole year is going to be tough. But if she's serious, it will be very valuable.

NASCAR will announce the next 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Which competitor, or competitors, should be in the 2013 class?

Bob Pockrass: Fireball Roberts and Bruton Smith. Roberts was one of the most popular drivers of the early days of NASCAR. As a track owner, Smith's contribution to the fan experience—including the first owner to light a superspeedway—is a big reason the sport is as big as it is today.

Jay Pfeifer: Ray Evernham. No crew chief has had a bigger impact on the sport in the past 25 years. He changed the way the sport works. Even if you don't consider his successful stint as a team owner, his impact from atop the pit box merits consideration.

Jon Gunn: Rusty Wallace. Aside from being a fierce competitor—55 wins and the 1989 Cup championship—Wallace took center stage as NASCAR blossomed from a speck on the sports landscape to a national juggernaut.

Kenny Bruce: Smith and Herb Thomas, the series’ first two-time champion and a winner of 48 races in just 228 career starts. Smith didn’t create NASCAR, but his impact through track ownership helped take the sport to a much higher level.